1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sensor device for measuring a direction of incident flow against the sensor device, having a flow body which is set up to have the flowing medium flow around it. The invention also relates to an evaluation device for such a sensor device that is set up to use the sensor data generated by the sensor elements to determine a value of the direction of incident flow with which a flowing medium flows against the sensor device while computationally including the flow characteristics of the flow body.
2. Background Description
In different areas of engineering, it is necessary to determine a direction of incident flow with which a flowing medium flows against an object. Sensor devices which can be used to measure the direction of incident flow or an angle of incident flow with respect to a reference direction are known for this purpose. Fields of use include, for example, aviation, weather detection or detection of the flow conditions of hydraulic media. In the field of aviation, there are so-called incident flow angle sensors which are also referred to as angle of attack (AOA) sensors and are needed, for example, to measure the angle of attack of an airplane. Their usual design involves a rotary transducer, for example a potentiometer, being provided with a wind vane. In this case, the wind vane is arranged outside the airplane. The signal emitted by the potentiometer is influenced by the angle of rotation of the wind vane, with the result that the direction of incident flow can be determined therefrom.
The previously described incident flow angle sensor has a relatively complicated and expensive structure. In addition, the wind vane is sensitive to damage and is also sluggish owing to the principle.